India successfully test-fires VL-SRSAM

Highlights:

• Recently, A vertical-launch, short-range, surface-to-air missile (VL-SRSAM) was successfully test-fired by Indian Navy.
• VL-SRSAM was launched from a warship, off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.
• The VL-SRSAM system has been designed for striking at high-speed airborne targets at 40 km to 50 km range and at an altitude of 15km.
• Successful launch will further strengthen the defence capability of Indian naval ships, against aerial threats.
• Before this, India successfully tested its nuclear-capable Agni-4 intermediate range ballistic missile, off the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

• VL-SRSAM is a quick reaction surface-to-air-missile. 
• It has been indigenously designed and developed for Indian Navy, by DRDO. 
• It has been developed to neutralise aerial threats at close ranges, including the sea-skimming targets. 
• It has an operational range of 50 kms. 
• It features mid-course inertial guidance through active radar and fiber optic gyroscope.  
• Its launch was conducted to validate integrated operation of all the components of the system.
• The VL-SRSAM missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in coordination with the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) besides the Research & Development Establishment (Engineers), based at Pune.